Velocipede



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entre CLARENCE w. BENNETT, or NEW Yoan, N. Y.

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4Specloaton of Lettersl Patent. Y Paigmted 111157117 1922s Applicationfiled Janual'yO, 19.20. Serial No. 355,082.

yState of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTVelocipedes, of which the following'is a speciiication. fr

The present invention relates particularly to the steering head andfront fork construction of velocipedes7 the objects vof the inventionbeing to improve 4and `simplify these parts and at the same time toreduce the cost of the same without sacrificing either strength ordurability.

These objects I have accomplished by a 4number of novel features ofconstruction,

combinations and arrangements of parts, the details of which will appearin the course of the following specification.

In the drawing accompanying and forming a part of the specification, Ihave illustrated the invention embodied in two different forms, butwould have it understood that other variations and modifications may bemade without departure from the scope of protection afforded by theappended claims.

Figure 1 in the drawing referred to is a perspective view of avelocipede having the features of the invention incorporated therein.

Figure 2 is an enlarged, broken and partly sectional view of the frontfork and steering head construction,

VFigure 3 is a plan view of the same as taken on substantially the planeof the section line 3 3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a broken sectional view of a slightly different form ofconstruction.

The .frame of the machine illustrated comprises the two rearwardly anddownwardly extending side pieces 5 and 6 supporting the seat 7. At therear these side pieces of the frame are connected with the rear axle Sand at their forward ends these side pieces are connected with a sleevemember 9 forming a head in which the tubular steering post 10 isjournaled. This sleeve I Vhave shown as made up of a piece of sheetmetal folded upon itself to produce the tubular sleeve portion9 andhaving its ends brought together into fiat engagement, as indicated at11 in Figure 3 and there secured between the side pieces as by means ofrivets or other suitable fastening's 12e In the first form of theinvention disclosed, I have shown the lower end portion of the tubularsteering post 10 as screwthreaded at 13 and have shown the forkconstruction as made up of the two side meml bers 14 and 15 extended upVthrough the two .Y

head plates 16 and 17 which aresecured in spaced relation on the lowerthreaded end of the steering post between the nuts 18 and 19 and areheldin the proper Ispaced relation bythe interposed bushing or spacingtube 20.

`To brace the sides of the Vfork below 4the head, I have provided abracket or reinforcement of substantially U-form7 inverted with- 1n thefork and having its base portion 21 engaged with the lower head plate 16and its side arms 22 and 23 extending down along the side members 14 and15 of the fork and secured thereto as by means of the rivets or othersuitable fastenings 24.

25 designates the handle bars which may be of any suitable or desiredconstruction and which are shown as provided with a post or extension 26adjustably secured within the tubular member 10 of the steering post bya set screw 27 which is threaded in a collar 28 and extends through anopening in the tubular member 10 into engagement with the rod 26. Theextension of this screw through the opening in the tubular post 10secures the collar 28 on the tubular post so as to cause said collar toact as a stop to prevent the post being accidentally withdrawn from thesleeve or head 9. On the removal of the screw, the stop collar mayl beslipped off the post 10 and then the steering fork may be entirelywithdrawn from the head A9, this, of course, after the handle bars havebeen re moved.

The construction illustrated in Figure 4e differs from the form justdescribed7 principally in that the tubular steering post 1() is notthreaded and the lower abutment 19a which corresponds in a sense to thenut 19 in the first form is secured by riveting or turning over thelower end of the post, as indicated at 29. Also in this construction thespacing sleeve 2O is secured fast between the two head plates 16 and 17by a rod 30 passed through the upper extended end portions of the sides14 and 15 of the forl and through the bushing and the post. This rod maybe secured in place by riveting the ends thereof over the fork sides, asindicated at 31. The upper abutment which I have designated 18acorresponds in a general way to the upper nut 18in the first forni defscribed, being disposed above the upper head plate 17 and formingaVbearing engaging with the under side of the sleeve member.l

This construction is like the one iii-st described in that the Ahandlebars may be' readily raised and lowered and may be securedin any desiredrelation. l

The invention, it will be evident, provides a relatively/.simple andlight fork construetion which is vwell braced and which can be readilyassembled.V Y a V -WhatIclaim is: Y l1 1. In a velocipede, a frame andatubular steering'head carried thereby, a steering post journaled/in saidhead, head plates secured in .spaced relation onV said'post ata pointbelow the steering head, a fork having side members extending up throughsaid head plates, and a substantially U-shaped bracket inverted withinsaid forkand having a base portion msecured in engagement with the4lower head plate and downwardly extending side arms secured to the sidemembers of the forli.

2, In a velocipede, aisteering post, head plates on. said steering post,a spacing sleeve on the post between said plates, abutments on the postabove the upper head plate and below the lower head plate, fork membersengaged with the head plates, and aV substantially U-shaped bracketinverted between .the

a fork members having a base portion secured bythe lower abutmentagainstv the lowerf

